[Ravin]

I want my preschooler dressed modestly and smartly. Is that really too much to ask? 2T things that actually fit her in the neck and arms are all WAY too short now, and most 3T things fit like a sack. Shirts that fit in the neck/arms tend to leave her belly bared unless she's in a jumper. And soon it will be too hot for long pants. She has maybe 3 pairs of capris that are actually capri length on her, and of those one is too big in the backside/waist, one is actually boys' shorts and kind of loose in the waist!

Do I need to just break down and sew this child clothes? Should I just sew a ruffle to the bottom of all her cute 2T jumpers so they're long enough? Would that look wierd?

Many of her clothes are secondhand, and the rest were gifts from grandparents, we can't afford to go out and buy new things. And I get the feeling even if we did, I'd find little that I would consider tasteful and that properly fit my child.

Ack.

 

[monkeysmommy]

I hear ya. My dd seems to be in a phase where toddler clothes are too small, yet little girl clothes are too big. Actually the perfect size for her is a 5T but very few brands make those. 4Ts are too small but XS in kid sizes are too big. Especially pants. My dd has inherited my build- long torso, short legs. All her pants are about six inches too long if they fit in the waist. I have to either hem them or cut them. Oh, she has short arms too! So if a shirt is long enough for her torso, the sleeves are so long they cover her hands! She has tons of clothes, but nothing that really fits her well. Except t shirts.

 

[MOM2ANSLEY]

My dd is 4 and tall. We have a friend that sews for us. She makes size 5 dresses with size 6 length. the ruffle idea is great....actually lots of "botique" items look that now. and you couls sew a matching ruffle on pants and bottom of shirt for a cute cheap outfit

 

[katallen]

I often find some great deals hidden among the rest of the adult mimicking clothes at Mervyns in our local mall, this is a great time to go get the summer clothes because they are about $5 a pair right now. I understand the desire to dress your child nicely, but she is just a child and you may find more suitable clothes if you go for practical things that she can get dirty in and explore the world in. I have found that my child maintains her cuteness no matter what she is in as long as she is in a good mood. If you are worried about her being the cute one for daycare then put her hair up, it makes a world of difference to have a well groomed child with clean clothes at the beginning of the day, not matter what the clothes are.

 

[Ravin]

I am all for practical, believe me! I consider jumpers and t-shirts to be very practical playclothes for little girls, but said jumpers need to be longer than mid-thigh! if it just comes to her knees standing, it's mid-thigh sitting down, kwim? And when it gets really hot, too many layers kind of stinks.

I think I'm just going to do some sewing and modify some of her clothes. Oy.

BTW, right now $5 is more than I have to spend on clothes.

 

[oyemicanto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravin I Do I need to just break down and sew this child clothes? Should I just sew a ruffle to the bottom of all her cute 2T jumpers so they're long enough? Would that look wierd? Ack.

My mom had 4 girls and a very tight budget and she used to do this all the time - add fabric to the bottoms of jeans and skirts and sleeves - it looked cute!

 

[Benji'sMom]

I've sewn some pants for DS because nothing else would fit. Luckily boys don't have the problem of all those immodest clothes, but whenever I have a problem finding a good fit I don't mind sewing something.

 

[selendang]

I totally feel for you. My boys are all skinny and long armed and legged. (well so are dh and me) Nothing except shorts and T's fit right. I try to find adjustable waists and hem up their pants. But unfortunately, I don't have alot of time so their tops are usually really big on them due to their long arms!

 

[kandkrose]

i have the same problem in my little girls' size 6 stuff (right on the border of T clothes and the little girls' section)

they're always belly-shirts on her, and her pants ride down too low. i sew ruffles on the bottoms of her jumpers & shirts, so that it covers up her bottom (where her pants meet her tummy) so her tummy doesnt show. it drives me bonkers that they make girls clothes to be so skimpy!!

 

[annethcz]

Yes, I hear you.

You may want to try boys clothing. The difference in fit between boys and girls is amazing! I can buy a size 6 shirt for my 6yo DS, and it will be too big. I can buy a size 6 shirt for his much smaller sister, and it will be too small/tight/short in the belly. It's sad, really.

 

[Ravin]

We do have some boys' items, solid T's and jeans/shorts mostly. Which is fine, except if I put her in plain boys' jeans, she wants something with flowers on for a shirt, or pink.

I use the plain T's under her jumpers (and some of her sunddresses which she THINKS are jumpers because I think they need a shirt under them).

 

[katallen]

Could you get a bunch of sew on flowers from the craft store and put some on each of her clothes items so she will want to wear them? I believe they have sew on and iron on ones. I have seen some at our local dollar store also but things like that come and go.

 

[LynnS6]

Fabric paint! Easier than sewing flowers on. (But then again, I think I'd rather dig ditches than sew. My fine motor skills are, shall we say, weak.)

Some brands of girls clothes are better than others. JCPenney stuff is often not so skimpy in length (my parents get dd's clothes there).

You might also go for used (goodwill, consignment, ebay) when it comes time to go up a size- the skimpy belly thing is a fashion statement (why they need to make 3 year olds look like teenagers is another question

. We get a ton of handme downs from our neighbors whose girls are 2-3 years older, and I find they fit better (these clothes were probably purchased 4-5 years ago to fit their older daughters too.)

 

[momto l&a]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravin Do I need to just break down and sew this child clothes? Should I just sew a ruffle to the bottom of all her cute 2T jumpers so they're long enough? Would that look wierd?

What about making a few petty coats or slips that have pretty lace so that could show under her jumpers and dresses?

 

[RedWine]

They're not cheap, but Hanna Andersson's clothes are never immodest (at least, not in my opinion).

Their website always has a sales section, sometimes you can get their clothes as cheaply as you could get clothes at Target.

 

[maya44]

Well I do want to say that right now you would be sure to find NON belly baring clothes in the stores.

Why? Because "short" is "out." They styles now are very very very long (like tanks down to the mid thigh)

But this is GOOD news for you because what is "in" is layering. Why not purchase some very very inexpensive tank tops (I gurantee they'll be on the long side if they fit her in the neck/arms) and layer then UNDER the 2T tops that fit.

Then you have an outfit that is 1) Modest and 2) "smart"

As for the any dresses that are too short, a very inexpensive pair of leggins will make the dress both modest and smart.

 

[lindberg99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravin We do have some boys' items, solid T's and jeans/shorts mostly. Which is fine, except if I put her in plain boys' jeans, she wants something with flowers on for a shirt, or pink. I use the plain T's under her jumpers (and some of her sunddresses which she THINKS are jumpers because I think they need a shirt under them).

There are a lot of pastel shirts for boys this spring, including pink, light purple, mint, etc. OK, I haven't looked for them in toddler boys but I sure see a lot for older boys. And I bet there will be a lot on clearance soon because I really haven't seen many boys wearing pink (I have a 6.5 yo who would never wear pink.)

 

[mom2Avi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annethcz Yes, I hear you. You may want to try boys clothing. The difference in fit between boys and girls is amazing! I can buy a size 6 shirt for my 6yo DS, and it will be too big. I can buy a size 6 shirt for his much smaller sister, and it will be too small/tight/short in the belly. It's sad, really.

I found this out a couple of years ago when I was laying out clothes for my two kids. I tossed my son's size 12 month shirt onto the bed next to my daughter's 3T shirt and the ONLY difference in size (sleves, shoulder seams, torso, etc.) was the 3T was and inch longer. They were the same manufacturer too.

 

[punkrockmommy]

My girl is 3 and she wears anything from 2T to 5 year old clothes. All clothes are made differently so you just have guess. I fold all my girls pants up because i know they will fit her eventually and i just put belts on her.
Related rant- why are they making Low rise jeans for toddlers as well as underware to accomadate them? Have you noticed how they are getting sluttier clothes for kids?

 

[frenchie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravin I want my preschooler dressed modestly and smartly. Is that really too much to ask? 2T things that actually fit her in the neck and arms are all WAY too short now, and most 3T things fit like a sack. Shirts that fit in the neck/arms tend to leave her belly bared unless she's in a jumper. And soon it will be too hot for long pants. She has maybe 3 pairs of capris that are actually capri length on her, and of those one is too big in the backside/waist, one is actually boys' shorts and kind of loose in the waist! Do I need to just break down and sew this child clothes? Should I just sew a ruffle to the bottom of all her cute 2T jumpers so they're long enough? Would that look wierd? Many of her clothes are secondhand, and the rest were gifts from grandparents, we can't afford to go out and buy new things. And I get the feeling even if we did, I'd find little that I would consider tasteful and that properly fit my child. Ack.

Modesty costs money these days! Gymboree is great for modesty. You can find their stuff second hand on eBay. I've seen large lots of Gymboree clothes go for about $20-25.